Golf tee and marker box

ABSTRACT

A golf tee holder includes a thin box having a top, a bottom and lateral open sides and a thickness based on a diameter of a golf tee. Laterally overlapping filaments (LOF) line the plurality of open sides and provide a friction retention of multiple golf tees inserted through the LOF into the thin box. Furthermore, a clip disposed on the thin box attaches it to a ball cap bill. A golf ball marker comprises a component of the thin box in some embodiments. A spring element within the thin box returns a golf tee pressed into it back out through the lateral overlapping filaments to a user of the thin box. The lateral overlapping filaments comprise one of bristles, fibers, cord, string, fuzz and tuft.

BACKGROUND

Golf is a major pastime for persons throughout the United States.However, carrying a tee holder while golfing is a tedious task anddifficult to remember. Although tee holders are necessary equipment forgolfers, they may be forgotten and results in delay or game forfeit.

Various devices have been constructed for holding golf tees and includekey chain tee holders, pocket organizers, backpack strap crenelations,discrete hand held stock and others. Construction includes braided cord,molded plastic, leather and other materials having a one-for-one slot totee ratio.

However, all of these devices fall short as a ubiquitous, universal andhands free device for collecting, gathering, storing and handling ofmultiple golf tees. For instance, though it works well in one's pocket,keychain holders require reaching into one's pocket and sorting out keysand other personal items before getting a needed tee.

More sophisticated construction and clever design are needed in themarketplace to provide golfers with a hands free, easy to use and highercapacity tee holder.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A golf tee holder and marker includes a thin box having a top, a bottomand lateral open sides and a thickness based on a diameter of a golftee. Laterally overlapping filaments (LOF) line the plurality of opensides and provide a friction retention of multiple golf tees insertedthrough the LOF into the thin box. Furthermore, a clip disposed on thethin box attaches it to a ball cap bill. A golf ball marker comprises acomponent of the thin box in some embodiments. A spring element withinthe thin box returns a golf tee pressed into it back out through thelateral overlapping filaments to a user of the thin box. The lateraloverlapping filaments comprise one of bristles, fibers, cord, string,fuzz and tuft.

A method of holding golf tees is disclosed. The method includes defininga plurality of open sides in a thin box having a top, a bottom andlateral sides and a thickness based on a diameter of a golf tee. Themethod also includes retaining multiple golf tees in the thin box viafriction between a plurality of laterally overlapping filaments liningthe open sides and the golf tees. The method additionally includesreturning a golf tee inserted more than a predefined portion into thethin box back out through the laterally overlapping filaments via aspring element within the thin box. Embodiments of the method includeclipping the thin box onto a bill of a sports cap via a clip attached tothe thin box and marking a golf ball via a marker component of the thinbox.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top right perspective view of the golf tee and marker boxwith centrally converging side filaments in accordance with anembodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a top left perspective view of the golf tee and marker boxwith centrally converging side filaments in accordance with anembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a top right perspective view of the golf tee and marker boxwith overlapping filaments in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a top left end perspective view of a golf tee insertionthrough the filaments and against the inner spring of the thin box inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a top cut away elevational view of the golf tee and marker boxin accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a top cut away elevational view of the golf tee and marker boxand an inserted golf tee in accordance with an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 7 is a left top view of the golf tee and marker box and concaveclip in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of overlapping filaments in accordancewith an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart diagram of a method for holding golf tees inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Throughout the description, similar reference numbers may be used toidentify similar elements depicted in multiple embodiments. Althoughspecific embodiments of the invention have been described andillustrated, the invention is not to be limited to the specific forms orarrangements of parts so described and illustrated. The scope of theinvention is to be defined by the claims appended hereto and theirequivalents.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made to exemplary embodiments illustrated in thedrawings and specific language will be used herein to describe the same.It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope ofthe disclosure is thereby intended. Alterations and furthermodifications of the inventive features illustrated herein andadditional applications of the principles of the inventions asillustrated herein, which would occur to one skilled in the relevant artand having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered withinthe scope of the invention.

Throughout the present disclosure the term ‘laterally overlapping’ isused to refer to geometries bristles, filaments, cords, etc which areside to side adjacent and touching at more than one tangential point.

The present disclosure clips directly on the front of a golfer's hatand/or any hard billed ball cap. This makes it easy to remember and keepthroughout the duration of a golf game. The bristles of the disclosedtee holder allow multiple tees to easily be inserted and removed severaltimes during any game of golf. The tee holder box is light weight andrelatively small so as to not obscure a golfer's vision.

FIG. 1 is a top right perspective view of the golf tee and marker boxwith centrally converging side filaments in accordance with anembodiment of the disclosure. The depiction includes the top A of thethin box, the golf ball marker component B, the laterally overlappingbristle filaments C, the centrally converging filaments L on each end ofthe thin box, the sports hat bill clip D and the bottom H of the thinbox.

FIG. 2 is a top left perspective view of the golf tee and marker boxwith centrally converging side filaments in accordance with anembodiment of the present disclosure. Similar reference letters andreference lines are used for similar and same limitations as those ofFIG. 1 with the addition of the left side F of the thin box. Thelaterally overlapping bristles C are not visible due to the perspectiveangle and details of the clip D are seen in broken lines.

FIG. 3 is a top right perspective view of the golf tee and marker boxwith overlapping filaments in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent disclosure. Similar reference letters and reference lines areused for similar and same limitations as those of FIG. 1. All lateralsides, including the smaller ends and the longer sides are lined withthe laterally overlapping bristles filaments. The golf ball markercomponent B includes an ink or a sharp point for marking and identifyingindicia on the golf ball.

FIG. 4 is a top left end perspective view of a golf tee insertionthrough the filaments and against the inner spring of the thin box inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In thisdepiction, which includes similar reference letters and reference linesused for similar and same limitations found in other figures herein, thespring E is shown partially depressed by the insertion of a golf tee T.Similarly, the laterally overlapping bristle filaments C are also shownpushed aside by the golf tee T which hold it in friction until eitherthe spring pushes it back through the bristle filaments C or until auser pulls it out of the thin box.

FIG. 5 is a top cut away elevational view of the golf tee and marker boxin accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In thisdepiction, which includes similar reference letters and reference linesused for similar and same limitations found in other figures herein, themidpoint J is shown as a reference in a broken line to indicate a depthof insertion of a golf tee (not shown) into the thin box. The spring Eis shown undepressed. The posts G hold the spring in place. A track or aridge, etc are used to hold the spring in place in other embodiments ofthe present disclosure. Only the bottom bristle filaments are shownsince the top bristle filaments are attached at one end to the missingtop A.

FIG. 6 is a top cut away elevational view of the golf tee and marker boxand an inserted golf tee in accordance with an embodiment of the presentdisclosure. In this depiction, which includes similar reference lettersand reference lines used for similar and same limitations found in otherfigures herein, the spring E is shown partially depressed by a golf teeT. The posts G hold the spring in place. A track or a ridge, etc areused to hold the spring in place in other embodiments of the presentdisclosure. The arrows indicate an insertion and a return or removalaction from the thin box through the laterally overlapping bristlefilaments C.

FIG. 7 is a left top view of the golf tee and marker box and concaveclip in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Similarreference letters and reference lines are used for similar and samelimitations as those of other figures herein with the addition of theconcave/convex ball hat bill clip K shown. The concave/convex designallow a tighter attachment to the all bill without indention ordepression of the ball bill for low durometer bills.

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of overlapping filaments in accordancewith an embodiment of the present disclosure. The bristle filaments CTare attached from the top side A of the thin box and the bristlefilaments CB are attached from a bottom side H of the thin box and areshown overlapping, or touching and adjacent at more than one tangentialpoint. This design increases a holding power of the thin box on the golftees.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart diagram of a method for holding golf tees inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The methodincludes defining 110 a plurality of open sides in a thin box having atop, a bottom and lateral sides and a thickness based on a diameter of agolf tee. The method also includes 120 retaining multiple golf tees inthe thin box via friction between a plurality of laterally overlappingfilaments lining the open sides and the golf tees. The methodadditionally includes returning 130 a golf tee inserted more than apredefined portion into the thin box back out through the laterallyoverlapping filaments via a spring element within the thin box.Embodiments of the method include clipping 140 the thin box onto a billof a sports cap via a clip attached to the thin box and marking 150 agolf ball via a marker component of the thin box.

Although the operations of the method(s) herein are shown and describedin a particular order, the order of the operations of each method may bealtered so that certain operations may be performed in an inverse orderor so that certain operations may be performed, at least in part,concurrently with other operations. In another embodiment, instructionsor sub-operations of distinct operations may be implemented in anintermittent and/or alternating manner.

While the forgoing examples are illustrative of the principles of thepresent disclosure in one or more particular applications, it will beapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerousmodifications in form, usage and details of implementation can be madewithout the exercise of inventive faculty, and without departing fromthe principles and concepts of the invention. Accordingly, it is notintended that the disclosure be limited, except as by the specificationand claims set forth herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A golf tee holder, comprising: a thin box havinga top, a bottom and lateral sides and a thickness based on a diameter ofa golf tee, the box configured to define a plurality of open sides; anda plurality of laterally overlapping filaments configured to line theplurality of open sides and provide a friction retention of a pluralityof golf tees.
 2. The golf tee holder of claim 1, further comprising aclip disposed on the thin box, the clip configured to attach the thinbox to a ball cap bill.
 3. The golf tee holder of claim 1, furthercomprising a golf ball marker component.
 4. The golf tee holder of claim1, wherein the plurality of laterally overlapping filaments have alength equal to or greater than the thickness of the box and areattached to one or both of a top and a bottom of the thin box.
 5. Thegolf tee holder of claim 1, wherein the plurality of laterallyoverlapping filaments converge centrally from two end sides of thelateral sides in a rectangle shaped thin box.
 6. The golf tee holder ofclaim 1, wherein a length of the laterally overlapping filaments is lessthan or equal to a thickness of the thin box.
 7. The golf tee holder ofclaim 1, wherein the plurality of open sides is equal to or less thanthree lateral sides.
 8. The golf tee holder of claim 1, wherein thethickness of the thin box is a nominal 5/16^(th) to 7/16^(th) inches. 9.The golf tee holder of claim 1, wherein a length of the thin box is anominal 1.5 inches to 2.0 inches.
 10. The golf tee holder of claim 1,wherein the clip comprises a concave component and a complementaryconvex component configured to a curvature of a ball cap bill.
 11. Thegolf tee holder of claim 1, wherein the lateral overlapping filamentscomprise one of bristles, fibers, cord, string, fuzz and tuft.
 12. Thegolf tee holder of claim 1, further comprising a spring element withinthe thin box configured to return a golf tee pressed into it back outthrough the lateral overlapping filaments.
 13. A golf tee holder,comprising: a thin box having a top, a bottom and lateral sides and athickness based on a diameter of a golf tee, the box configured todefine a plurality of open sides; a plurality of laterally overlappingfilaments configured to line the plurality of open sides for a frictionretention of a plurality of golf tees; and a spring element within thethin box configured to return a golf tee pressed into it back outthrough the lateral overlapping filaments.
 14. The golf tee holder ofclaim 13, further comprising a top row and a bottom row of laterallyoverlapping filaments (LOF) wherein sides of the top row of LOF overlapsides of the bottom row of LOF.
 15. A method of holding golf tees, themethod comprising: defining a plurality of open sides in a thin boxhaving a top, a bottom and lateral sides and a thickness based on adiameter of a golf tee; retaining a plurality of golf tees in the thinbox via friction between a plurality of laterally overlapping filamentslining the open sides and the golf tees; and returning a golf teeinserted more than a predefined portion into the thin box back outthrough the laterally overlapping filaments via a spring element withinthe thin box.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the predefined portionof insertion is equal to or less than one half the length of a golf tee.17. The method of claim 15, wherein the predefined portion of insertionis equal to or less than three-fourths the length of a golf tee.
 18. Themethod of claim 15, further comprising clipping the thin box onto a billof a sports cap via a clip attached to the thin box.
 19. The method ofclaim 15, further comprising marking a golf ball via a marker componentof the thin box.
 20. The method of claim 15, further comprisingpiggy-backing one thin box onto another thin box via a clip attached toeach thin box.